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THE LIBRARY

OF

THE UNIVERSITY
OF CALIFORNIA

PRESENTED BY

PROF. CHARLES A. KOFOID AND
MRS. PRUDENCE W. KOFOID

>'

BRIEF ACCOUNT

DISCOVERIES AND RESULTS

UNITED STATES EXPLORING EXPEDITION

FROM THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SCIENCE AND ARTS, VOL. XLIV.

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NEW HAVEN:

PRINTED BY B. L. HAMLEN

1843.

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VJ-732.

UNITED STATES EXPLORING EXPEDITION.

ENGLAND and France have long been, honorable rivals on the
ocean, as well in exploring as in warlike expeditions. The voy-
ages of Cook, Vancouver, Flinders, Parry, Beechey, King, Fitz-
roy, and Ross, are conspicuous in the annals of English naviga-
tion ; while France is no less honored by her explorations under
Bougainville, La Perouse, Labillardiere, Duperrey, Freycinet,
and D'Urville. Both countries have looked beyond the mere dis-
covery of new lands, new commercial resources, and territorial
aggrandizement. Their efforts have been directed towards an
increase of knowledge in every branch of science, and there are
few regions from the equator to the poles, which have not been
tracked by their vessels. Whatever could illustrate the condi-
tion or resources of the regions visited ; the customs, languages,
or history of their unknown tribes ; or the motion of the winds,
the waters, the world, or the stars, has been thought worthy of
observation. Cook was dispatched to the Pacific Ocean expressly
to observe the transit of Venus, and Sir Joseph Banks and Forster
accompanied him at different times in his voyages around the
world. In the late voyage of Fitzroy, Mr. Darwin was associa-
ted with the expedition, and made large contributions to science.
France has outstripped England in the liberality with which her
expeditions have been fitted out, and in the magnificence of her
publications. The many folio volumes of plates, published as
the result of the voyages of Freycinet, Duperrey, and D'Urville,
and those of Napoleon's expedition into Egypt, are among the
most splendid productions of the age. They are a noble gift
from France to the world.

America has at last taken her part in the labors of exploration.
An Exploring Expedition has been sent out, and has returned.
It was organized on a plan honorable to a nation that is second to
none in enterprise and general education ; and its results, when
published, will, it is believed, equal in amount and interest, those
of any expedition that has preceded it. The expedition sailed
under the command of Lieut. Charles Wilkes, who was aided by
intelligent officers, well fitted for the duties to which they were
called ; and the large number of charts that have been made in
the course of the cruise, evince alike the energy of the com-

1

4 United States Exploring Expedition.

mander, and the industry and skill of all engaged in the surveys.
The duties have been extremely laborious, beyond the concep-
tion of the comfortable house-dweller at home. The loss of one
schooner with all hands, including two officers ; the total wreck
of another vessel — the sloop of war Peacock — stripping the crew
of every thing but their lives ; the massacre of two officers by the
savages of the Feejee Islands, and of a sailor by the treacherous
Kingsmill Islanders, are the only fatal disasters : but they are a
few only of its perils. Indeed there were dangers every where,
by land as well as by sea. The personal adventures in the
course of the cruise, told as simple tales, without exaggeration,
would make a volume full of startling incidents, and replete
with interest.

It is gratifying to learn that the country will soon be put in pos-
session of the facts collected. Thus far those engaged in it have
alone been benefited. They have collected information that will
be invaluable to them as men of intelligence and members of so-
ciety. It remains for them to give this information to the coun-
try, that the people who have borne the expense, may also par-
take of the profits. The affairs of the expedition are in the
hands of the Library Committee of Congress, and under their
direction, Captain Wilkes has been put in charge of the history
of the voyage, the charts arid philosophical observations, and the
other departments of science are placed in the hands of those
that had charge of them during the voyage. Each will prepare
his own reports, reap his own honors, and be held responsible for
his own facts. The extent of the work cannot be definitely
stated : the plates will form several folio volumes in the style of
the voyage of the Astrolabe.

As the country is much interested to know what has been
done by the expedition, it is proposed to give, in as brief a man-
ner as possible, some idea of the material on hand for publica-
tion, and the general character and extent of the collections. Our
acquaintance with the gentlemen of the expedition, enables us
to state many particulars which have not yet appeared in print,
the accuracy of which may be relied on.

We prelude our remarks, by giving the track of the vessels as
laid down in Capt. Wilkes's synopsis of the cruise.

On August 19, 1838, the vessels left the Capes of the Chesa-
peake and sailed for Rio Janeiro, making short calls at Madeira

United States Exploring Expedition. 5

and the Cape Verds. From Rio, on the 6th of January follow-
ing, they proceeded to Rio Negro, on the northern confines
of Patagonia, and thence to Nassau Bay in Tierra del Fuego,
just west of Cape Horn. From this place, the Peacock, Porpoise,
and the two schooners, made cruises in different directions to-
wards the pole ; but the season was too far advanced for much
success, as it was already February 24th before they sailed.
The schooner Flying Fish, notwithstanding, reached latitude
70° 14' S., nearly the highest attained by Cook, and not far
from the same longitude. The ship Relief was ordered to enter
a southern channel opening into the straits of Magellan, but met
with constant gales, and barely escaped being wrecked, after a loss
of four anchors, at an anchorage she had made under Noir Island,
to escape the rocks of a lee coast. The Vincennes remained at
Nassau Bay to carry on surveys and magnetic observations. In
May of 1839, the vessels were again together at Valparaiso, with
the exception of one schooner, the Sea Gull, which was lost in a
gale shortly after leaving Nassau Bay. The vessels sailed on
the 6th of June for Callao, Peru, and from here, the Relief, hav-
ing proved ill-adapted for such a voyage, was dispatched home.
On the 12th of July, the squadron left the South American coast
and sailed west, visiting and surveying fourteen or fifteen of the
Paumotu Islands, two of the Society Islands, and all the Naviga-
tor group, and on the 28th of November reached Sydney, New
South Wales.

The vessels next proceeded on their second Antarctic cruise.
Land was first discovered in longitude 160° E., and latitude 66°
30' S. The Yincennes and Porpoise pursued the barrier of ice
to the westward as far as 97° E. longitude, seeing the land at in-
tervals for one thousand five hundred miles. When the barrier
of ice permitted, the Vincennes sailed along " within from three
fourths of a mile to ten miles of the land." In a place they call-
ed Piner's bay, soundings were obtained in thirty fathoms, and
they had hopes of soon landing on the rocks ; but a storm came
up suddenly which lasted for thirty-six hours, and drove the ves-
sel far to leeward ; they consequently pushed on with their ex-
plorations to the westward, hoping for some more accessible place,
but were disappointed.* Large masses of rock were collected

* See the synopsis of the cruise by Capt. Wilkes.

6 United States Exploring Expedition.

from the icy barrier in close proximity to the land, which are now
deposited in the National Gallery at the Patent Office. Two of
the masses, one of basalt and the other of compact red sandstone,
weigh each about eighty pounds. Besides these, there are many
smaller specimens of gray and flesh-colored granite, gneiss, white
and red sandstone, basalt, and reddish clay or earth. The Pea-
cock was enclosed in the ice soon after reaching it, when pene-
trating towards an appearance of land ahead, and for twenty
hours they were barely hoping for life. They had obtained
soundings in 320 fathoms.* On the 24th of February, 1840,
the Vincennes left the ice, and by the 24th of April, all the ves-
sels were together at Tongatabu. During the Antarctic cruise,
the scientific gentlemen were occupied making observations and
collections in New Holland and New Zealand ; they joined the
squadron at the latter place.

After delaying a day or two at Tongatabu, the squadron pro-
ceeded to the Feejees, where nearly four months were industri-
ously occupied in surveys and various scientific observations.
Thence they sailed for the Sandwich Islands, passing on the
way and surveying several small coral islands. The Vincennes
spent the winter at this group, and in the course of it, the pendu-
lum and other philosophical instruments were carried to the very
summit of Mauna Loa, an elevation of fourteen thousand feet.
Occasionally, at sunset, they observed the sublime spectacle of
the shadow of this mountain dome projected upon the eastern
skies.

During the same time the Peacock and schooner Flying Fish
were cruising in the equatorial regions of the Pacific, visiting
and surveying numerous scattered coral islands, besides the Nav-
igator's and the Kingsmill group, and others of the Caroline
Archipelago. The Porpoise made charts of several of the Pau-
motu Islands not before surveyed, and touched again at Tahiti.

* There has been much incredulity in the country with regard to the discovery
of this land, owing probably to mistaking the dispute with the French with regard
to priority of discovery, for a dispute with regard to discovery itself. The facts
here stated set the subject at rest. Within a few weeks, acknowledgments have
reached this country from the French expedition, yielding the priority to the
American expedition, and it will be so stated in their forthcoming publications.
The part of the line of land which Ross is said to have sailed over, was a discov-
ery claimed by Bellamy, and which Capt. Wilkes added to the chart he sent Capt.
Ross, with Bellamy's name accidentally omitted in copying.

United States Exploring Expedition. 7

In the spring of 1841, the Vincennes and Porpoise were early
on the coast of Oregon. The Peacock and Flying Fish arrived
there in July, and while attempting to enter the Columbia, the
Peacock met with her disaster. There were several land expe-
ditions into the interior of Oregon, of from five hundred to one
thousand miles each, and one of about eight hundred miles, from
the Columbia River, to San Francisco in California.

The vessels left California in November of 1841, touched for
supplies at the Sandwich Islands, and proceeded to Manilla in the
Philippines ; thence to Mindanao, and through the Sooloo Archi-
pelago, and the straits of Balabac, to Singapore, which place they
reached in February of 1842. They proceeded thence by the
straits of Surida to the Cape of Good Hope, and passing by St. He-
lena, the squadron arrived at New York in June of 1842, having
been absent from the country about three years and ten months,
and having sailed between eighty and ninety thousand miles.

The number of islands surveyed during the cruise of the ex-
ploring expedition, is about two hundred and eighty, besides eight
hundred miles on the streams and coast of Oregon, and one thou-
sand and five hundred miles laid down along the land and icy
barrier of the Antarctic continent. Numerous islands of doubtful
existence have been looked for, shoals have been examined, reefs
discovered and laid down, harbors surveyed and many for the
first time made known, and the latitudes and longitudes of the
points visited have been determined with all possible precision.
Very many of the doubtful points in the geography of the Pa-
cific have been cleared up, and the expedition is prepared to sup-
ply our navigators with the most complete map of the ocean ever
published.

Next to Oregon, the Feejee group may be considered the rrost
important of the unexplored regions visited by the squadron.
This group is a perfect labyrinth of lofty islands and coral reefs,
and many disastrous wrecks have already occurred to our trading
vessels in those seas. The islands are visited for biche-da-mar,*
tortoise shell, and sandal- wood ; and there is no part of the year
in which there are not some Yankee cruisers threading their dan-

* The biche-da-mar is a kind of sea-slug — a sluggish, cucumber-shaped animal,
that lives about the reefs. It is boiled and dried over a smoking fire, and carried
in ship-loads to the Chinese market, where it is esteemed a great delicacy.

8 United States Exploring Expedition.

gerous way among its thousand reefs. The whole number of
islands in the group, is about one hundred and fifty ; one of these
contains about four thousand square miles, and another is but lit-
tle smaller. They are rich and fertile, and will one day rank
first in the Pacific for resources, as they are now first in extent
and number. The harbors are numerous and convenient.

Much might be said of Samoa or the Navigator Islands, which,
though less extensive, are more beautiful than the Feejees, and
contain at least five times as much fertile land, in proportion to
their extent, as the Sandwich Islands. But our remarks would
lengthen out beyond allowed limits, should we speak even cur-
sorily of the various regions that have been examined.

A few unknown islands were fallen in with, and one was dis-
covered at midnight, just in time to avoid its reefs. But many
such discoveries are not to be expected at this late day. At the
island referred to, the natives were so completely ignorant of
white men, as to believe them inhabitants of the sun ; for they
thought that the great ship, or " floating island," as they called it,
might sail off from the sun when it comes to the surface of the
sea at night, or leaves it in the morning. All their little property
was brought out by the terrified people, as a peace-offering to
their imagined deities ; and when the boats shoved off from the
shore, they pointed to the sun and asked in their language, " you
going back again ?"

Observations with the magnetic needle, thermometer, and ba-
rometer, have been constantly made throughout the cruise. The
deep-sea lead with a self-registering thermometer attached, has
been sent down in the various seas passed over, and many inter-
esting facts have been observed, that throw light upon the upper
and under currents of the ocean. Observations were also made
on shooting stars, the zodiacal light, the aurora australis, tides,
the course and rotary character of gales, &c. &,c.

The manners and customs, mode of life, superstitions and re-
ligious observances, traditions, &c. of the people met with in the
course of the cruise, .received constant attention, and complete
collections were made of their implements, manufactures, articles
of dress, &c. These collections are now nearly arranged in the
Hall or National Gallery at the Patent Office. Separate cases or
parts of cases are allotted to the different islands or groups of

United States Exploring Expedition. 9

islands, and when labelled throughout — which is now in pro-
gress— the condition of the various tribes or races, and the degree
of civilization among them, will be at once apparent to the eye.
By a walk through the National Gallery, we travel with more
than railroad speed over the Pacific, and examine into their va-
rious productions and the relative intelligence of the savages.
The degradation of the New Hollander stands out in bold relief
in contrast with the more advanced, though no less barbarous
Feejee. With the former, a war-club, and one or two other im-
plements of war, including a small elliptical shield, is their all —
there are no dresses, no household utensils, for they use neither,
and live without houses. Two cases* are filled with articles of
Feejee manufacture, and among them are war-clubs of various
kinds, spears, bows and arrows, native cloth of numerous pat-
terns, dresses of the men and women, with bracelets and neck-
laces of shells and human teeth, wigs of Feejee hair, showing
the mode of dressing the head, native combs, paint for painting
the face, their pillows, (a stick like a broom-handle supported on
short legs at each end,) musical instruments, models of canoes —
indeed all the arts and manufactures of the island are well rep-
resented ; and were the chief Veindovi living, a visit to the hall
with Veindovi at hand, would be little less interesting than visit-
ing the islands themselves. One advantage at least — no danger
would be apprehended from a ferocious race of cannibals, that
are ready to attack all intruders into those seas. Several Feejee
skulls are to be found in a separate case containing the skulls
collected by the expedition. Among them, one bears the marks
of the fire in a large burnt spot on the top of the head. Early
one morning, soon after the Peacock came to anchor off a small
Feejee town, she was boarded by a large number of natives,
who came off with their half eaten bones in their hands — the
remains of the past night's cannibal feast. They continued eat-
ing the human flesh on deck, as unconsciously as we would eat
an apple. One had the skull just referred to in his hand, and as
he consented to part with it for some trifle, he gouged out the
remaining eye and went on eating off its muscles. This fact,
so revolting, is here stated on account of the prevalent unwil-
lingness to admit that cannibalism actually exists among savages.
This was seen both by men and officers, and from the facts col-

* The glass cases in the hall measure twelve feet by four, and are eight feet high.

10 United States Exploring Expedition.

lected there can be no doubt of their entertaining an actual relish
for human flesh. The pottery of the Feejees is among the most
remarkable of their manufactures, as this art is not known to the
Polynesian races. Collections equally curious were obtained at
other places, but we must pass them by without remark.

The portfolios of the artists are rich in scenes of every kind
illustrating the islands or regions visited, and their inhabitants.
The scenery of the islands, their mountains and forests, their
villages with interior and exterior views of huts and public
houses — their spirit houses or temples — fortifications — household
utensils — canoes — the natives in council — dressed and painted
for war — the domestic scenes of the village — costumes — tattoo-
ing— modes of cooking, eating, drinking cava, taking and curing
fish, swimming, gambling and other amusements, — their war-
dances — club-dances — jugglery — and numerous other particulars
illustrating their manners and customs have been sketched with
fidelity. The portraits too are numerous, and so faithful that the
natives who had not seen them taken, on beholding them would
cry out with surprise the name of the individual represented.

The number of sketches of scenes and scenery amounts to
more than five hundred, besides five hundred others of head-
lands; the number of portraits is about two hundred. They
have been taken at all the places visited, from Madeira where the
vessels first stopped, throughout the cruise, to St. Helena. It is
unnecessary to enumerate the particular regions.

The principal importance of the observations and sketches
illustrating the different races, consists in their bearing upon the
history of these races, their migrations, and their physical and
moral characteristics. These subjects, in connection with the
study of languages, which together constitute the science of eth-
nography, received special attention during the cruise. The op-
portunities for observation have been unusually good, and the
information collected will prove, it is believed, highly interesting.
Only a few of the results can be here alluded to.

It has been long known that the inhabitants of the principal
groups, scattered over the Pacific to the east of the Feejee islands
— those usually included under the general name of Polynesia —
belong to one race, and in fact are one people, speaking dialects
of one general language closely allied to the Malay. Materials
have been obtained for a comparative grammar and dictionary of

United States Exploring Expedition. 1 1

the most important dialects, (including those of the Sandwich,
Society, Friendly, Navigator, and Hervey islands and New Zea-
land,) and from this comparison and the traditions of several of
these islands, it is believed that the original seat of the popula-
tion— viz. in the Navigator Islands — has been satisfactorily de-
termined, and the course of the migrations has been traced out
by which the different groups were peopled.

The vast island or continent of New Holland has heretofore
been generally supposed to be inhabited by numerous tribes
speaking languages entirely distinct. An opportunity however
was found of obtaining a grammatical analysis of the languages of
the inhabitants of two tribes living more than two hundred miles
apart, and ignorant of each other's existence ; which has resulted
in showing a clear and intimate resemblance, not merely in the
great mass of words, but in the inflections and minute peculiari-
ties of the two languages. By the aid of several vocabularies,
the comparison has been extended across the entire continent, and
has afforded fair grounds for believing that the inhabitants of New
Holland, like those of Polynesia, are one people, speaking langua-
ges derived from a common origin. Much information was ob-
tained from the missionaries and others, concerning the character,
usages, and religious belief of this singular race.

The inhabitants of the extensive and populous Feejee group
have been viewed with peculiar interest, from their position be-
tween the yellow Polynesian tribes on the east, and the Oceanic
negroes on the west. The result of inquiries, pursued with care
during a stay of nearly four months, has been to throw new and
unexpected light on the origin of this people, and their connec-
tion with the neighboring races. A mass of minute information
in regard to the customs, traditions and languages of these isl-
anders, including a grammar and a dictionary of about three thou-
sand words, will be given to the public.

The Kingsmill Islands are another interesting group, first ac-
curately surveyed by the vessels of the expedition. They lie in
the western part of the Pacific, directly under the equator. They
are sixteen in number, all of coral formation, the highest land on
any of them rising not more than twenty feet above the level of
the sea, and their united superficies not exceeding a hundred and
fifty square miles. They afford no stone but coral, no quadru-
peds but rats, and not more than thirty species of plants. Yet

2

12 United States Exploring Expedition.

on this confined space, thus scantily endowed by nature, was
found a dense population of more than sixty thousand souls, in a
state not inferior, as regards civilization, to any of the other islands
of the Pacific. It is obvious that the character and customs of this
people, as modified by their peculiar condition, must have present-
ed much that was novel and striking. By the aid of two sailors
who were fortunately found living on these islands — one of whom
had been detained there five years without an opportunity of es-
caping— these points were minutely examined, the relations of
the language determined, and the probable origin of the natives
ascertained.

In the territory of Oregon, vocabularies have been obtained of
twenty six languages belonging to thirteen distinct families — a
surprising and unexampled number to be found in so small a
space. In general, where a multitude of unrelated idioms have
been believed to exist, more careful researches, by discovering
resemblances and affinities before nnperceived, have greatly re-
duced the number. On the northwest coast of America, how-
ever, this rule does not hold good, and careful investigation,
instead of diminishing, has actually increased the number of lan-
guages between which no connection can be proved. On the
other hand, traces of affinity have been discovered where none
were supposed to exist; and it is worthy of note, that one family
of languages has been found extending from the vicinity of
Bheering's Straits to some distance south of the Columbia River.

At Singapore, the expedition procured from an American mis-
sionary there resident, a collection made by him with £reat pains
and at considerable expense, of valuable Malay and Btigis manu-
scripts, relating to the history, mythology, laws, and customs of
the East India islands. Since the loss of the splendid collection
of Sir Stamford Raffles, which was burned along with the vessel
in which it had been shipped for England, this is believed to be
the best in existence. It is likely to be of great service hereafter,
not less to the historian, than the philologist.

The birds of the expedition already make a fine display in the
National Gallery, although but two thirds are yet arranged. In
all there are about a thousand species collected, and double that
number of specimens. Contrary to expectation, many of the
birds of Oceania were found to have a very limited range. Some
of the groups have species peculiar to themselves, and several

United States Exploring Expedition. 13

insessorial species were found to be confined to a single island.
About fifty new species were obtained.

The field for mammalia afforded by the voyage has been very
limited. None of the Pacific islands, including New Zealand,
contain any native mammalia, except bats. Much interesting
information was however obtained relative to species met with on
the continents visited, and a few new species were collected.

The following is a list of the number of species in the other
departments of zoology, as nearly as can now be determined : —
Fishes, . . . 829 Shells, . . . 2000

Reptiles, . . 140 Zoophytes, exclusive of

Crustacea, . . 900 corals, . . 300

Insects, . . 1500 Corals, . . . 450

Of these the number of new species is nearly as follows : —
Fishes, about . . 250 Shells, . . . 250

Reptiles, . . 40 Zoophytes, exclusive of

Crustacea, . . 600 corals, . . 200

Insects, . . 500 Corals, ... 100

The following catalogue contains the number of species of
reptiles and fishes collected at the islands and countries visited :

Fishes. Reptiles.

Madeira and Cape Verds, . . 12 . 6

Rio Janeiro, . . . 104 . 25

Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego, 14 . 5

Valparaiso, . . . . 32 . 11

Peru, .... 56 . 10

Paumotu Islands and Tahiti, . 87 . 7

Samoa (or Navigators), . . 64 . 8

Australia, 30 . 18

New Zealand, .... 25 . 6

Tongatabu and Feejees, . . 131 .15

Sandwich Islands, about . . 100 . 4

Oregon, about . . . . 60 . 15

California, " .... 20 . 2

Sooloo Sea, .... 18 . 8

Manilla, 32 . 1

Singapore, . . . . 21 . 9

Cape of Good Hope, ... 4

At sea, 9

Of the six hundred new species of Crustacea, about two hun-
dred are oceanic species, of many of which, even the genera or

14 United States Exploring Expedition.

families are unknown. The ocean swarms with minute crusta-
cea, and it is seldom that a hand-net is thrown in good weather
without bringing up some novelty. In some seas they are so
numerous as to color the ocean red, over many square miles of
surface, as was observed off the South American coast near Val-
paraiso. These are the red or bloody waters that have been de-
scribed. When thus numerous, these animals are often called
whale's feed, and it is believed that they are actually the food of
the "right whale." Each animal is not over a twelfth of an inch
long, yet they swarm in such numbers as to afford subsistence to
these monsters of the deep. The fibrous net- work of whalebone,
in the roof of the whale's mouth, is fitted to strain out these ani-
mals from the water which passes through and is ejected by the
spout-holes. Many minute dissections have been made of these
and other Crustacea, and some interesting physiological facts
brought to light. As the species are often transparent, nearly all
the processes of life, even to the motion of every muscle and ev-
ery particle that floats in the blood, are open to view.

The Anatifa (a species of barnacle) has been traced through its
metamorphoses, from the young state when it resembles a Cypris
and swims at large with distinct compound eyes, to the adult ani-
mal ; and its connection with Crustacea is placed beyond doubt.

The collection of corals at the National Gallery is one of its
principal attractions. The great beauty and variety of these pro-
ductions is not conceived of, even by those best acquainted with
other collections in our country. These are the material that
constitutes the immense reefs of the Pacific and East Indies —
some of which exceed a thousand square miles in extent. More
than three fourths of all the islands of this great ocean have been
built up through the labors of the coral animal. The formation
of these islands, and the growth of the coral animal, the filling
up and opening of harbors, and the rising of reefs — all interest-
ing subjects of discussion, received particular attention ; and the
number of coral islands visited, and reefs examined, have afford-
ed unusual opportunities for these investigations. Colored draw-
ings have been made of a large number of coral animals, which
will convey some idea of their singular beauty and richness of
colors. Many of these animals are wholly unknown to science,
as this is a branch of zoology to which comparatively little at-
tention has heretofore been paid, on account of the inaccessible
regions in which they occur.

United States Exploring Expedition. 15

The following is the number of zoological drawings made du-
ring the cruise, in the departments of science here enumerated :

Reptiles, 75 species.

Fish, 260 "

Mollusca, (shells with the animals,) 500 "
Zoophytes, (exclusive of corals,) 350 "

Corals, 140 "

Crustacea, . . . . 500 "

The variety and beauty of marine animals in the coral seas
of the Pacific are beyond description. Like birds in our for-
ests, fish of brilliant colors sport among the coral groves, and
various mollnsca cover the bottom with living flowers. A new
world of beings is here opened to an inhabitant of our cold cli-
mate ; and many of these productions are so unlike the ordinary
forms of life, that it is difficult without seeing them, to believe
in their existence. Those that have looked over the beautiful
colored drawings by the artists of the expedition, are aware that
this description falls short of the truth.

A large number of new species yet remain to be drawn. While
there were so many things requiring immediate attention, it was
impossible to sketch all, and those were selected for sketching on
the spot, whose forms and colors were most liable to change.

Ten thousand species of plants, and upwards of fifty thousand
specimens, constitute the herbarium of the expedition. The fol-
lowing catalogue gives the number of species collected at the
several places visited : —

Madeira, . . 300 Feejee Islands, . 786

Cape Yerds, . . 60 Coral Islands, . 29

Brazil, ... 980 Sandwich Islands, . 883

Rio Negro (Patagonia), 150 Oregon, . . 1218

Tierra del Fuego, . 220 California, . . 519

Chili, ... 442 Manilla, . . 381

Peru, . . . 820 Singapore, . . 80

Tahiti, . . . 288 Mindanao, . . 102

Samoa (Navigator Ids.), 457 Sooloo Islands, . 58

New South Wales, 787 Mangsi Islands, . 80

New Zealand, . 398 Cape of Good Hope, 300

Auckland Islands, . 50 St. Helena, . . 20

Tongatabu, . . 236 9646

16 United States Exploring Expedition.

Including the mosses, lichens, and sea-weeds, the number will
exceed ten thousand. Besides dried specimens, two hundred
and four living plants were brought home, and are now in the
green-house in the yard of the Patent Office, along with many
others raised from seeds. The kinds of seeds obtained, amount
to eleven hundred and fifty six. Many of the expedition plants
are now growing in the various green-houses of the country, and
also in England and Europe. Specimens of different woods have
been preserved, the most interesting of which are those of large
arborescent species of Oxalis, Viola, Ripogonum, Piper, Geranium,
Argyroxiphium, Dracophyllum, Rubus, Bromelia, Lobelia and
Compositae of various kinds, besides sections of the Tree Ferns
and Palms of the tropics. There are colored drawings of one
hundred and eighty species of plants, beautifully executed.

Besides the observations at which we have glanced, in the de-
partments of zoology and botany, particular attention was paid
to the geographical distribution of plants and animals, and many
important facts have been ascertained. The reports on this sub-
ject, with the accompanying illustrative maps, will be found to
be among the most interesting of the results of the expedition.
This subject bears upon the distribution of fossil animals, and
the early history of our globe, and is exciting much attention
among those interested in geological investigations.

The regions examined by the expedition have been highly
interesting in a geological point of view. The islands of the
Pacific east of New Caledonia are either basaltic or coralline.
A large number of the latter (as already stated) have been ex-
amined, and much that is important has been brought to light.
The facts strongly confirm Darwin's theory with regard to the
formation of these islands, but lead to very different conclu-
sions respecting the areas of subsidence and elevation in the
Pacific. Numerous facts bearing upon this subject were col-
lected. The basaltic islands are of various ages, from the most
recent volcanic to a very remote period — probably as far back
as the middle of the secondary era. The older islands are re-
markable for their singular topographical features. There is
scarcely any part of the world where such profound gorges,
and sharp and lofty peaks and ridges, are thrown together in

United States Exploring Expedition. 17

a manner so remarkable. On one of the high ridges of Ta-
hiti, (Society group,) about six thousand feet above the sea,
the summit edge is so sharp, and the sides of the mountain
so nearly vertical, that the adventurous traveller may sit astride
of it, and look down a precipice of a thousand feet on either
side. In no other way except by thus balancing and pushing
himself along is it possible, for about thirty feet, to advance
towards the summit before him — yet a thousand feet higher —
for the bushes which are growing on the crest elsewhere and
serve as a balustrade, are here wanting. The famous coral bed
on the mountains of Tahiti, was looked for without success.

The Sandwich Islands contain basaltic rocks of all ages, from
the most recent volcanic to the most ancient in the Pacific, be-
sides coral rocks and elevated reefs ; and they are full of interest,
both as regards the structure and formation of igneous and lime-
stone rocks, and geological dynamics. The lofty precipices and
examples of shattered mountains before the eye. are astounding
to those who see only the little steeps, of a few hundred feet at
most, in the surface of our own country. There is evidence that
the island of Oahu is the shattered remnant of two lofty volcanic
mountains. A precipice on this island, upwards of twenty miles
long and from one to three thousand feet high, is apparently a
section of one of these volcanic mountains or domes, along which
it was rent in two, when the greater part was tumbled off and
submerged in the ocean.

Oahu is fringed in part with a coral reef, twenty five feet out
of water ; and similar proofs of still greater elevation are met with
on the other islands.

New Holland afforded the expedition a collection of coal plants
from the coal region ; the coal is bituminous and the beds are ex-
tensive. Large collections were also obtained of fossil shells and
corals, (about one hundred and eighty species in all,) from the
sandstone next below the coal. The geology of the coal region,
and of the overlying sandstone, and the fossiliferous sandstone
below, together with the trap dykes and beds, will prove highly
interesting. These are the only rocks observed.

About one hundred species of fossils, including vertebras of ce-
tacea, and remains of four species of fish, crabs, echini and shells,
were collected from a clayey sandstone, near Astoria, on the Co-
lumbia. Various explorations were made in the interior of Ore-
gon, and on a jaunt overland to California.

18 United States Exploring Expedition.

The Andes were ascended both in Chili and Peru, and in the
latter, an ammonite was obtained at a height of sixteen thou-
sand feet.

The collections at the National Gallery contain suites of speci-
mens from all the regions visited, including gems, and gold and
iron ores from Brazil, the copper and some of the silver ores of
Peru and Chili, besides others illustrating the general geological
structure of these countries.

But our remarks have already extended to an unexpected
length. The facts enumerated, although but here and there
one from the mass which have been collected, are sufficient to
evince that the nation which has done honor to itself in sending
out an exploring expedition so liberally organized, will have no
reason to be disappointed in the results. European nations al-
ready appreciate it, and speak higher praise than has yet been
heard on this side of the waters. The advantages accruing to
commerce alone, from the large number of surveys made, reefs
discovered and laid down, unknown harbors examined, resources
of islands and countries investigated — and from the permanent
footing on which intercourse with the Pacific islands has been
placed by the settlement of long standing difficulties and the rati-
fication of treaties, and the impression produced by an armed
force, more than repay for expenditures. The expedition has
performed the duties of an ordinary squadron in the Pacific, and
has accomplished in this way many fold more in that ocean, than
any squadron that ever left our country ; and if the expenses of
keeping the vessels in commission are cancelled on this score, the
sum which remains for the extraordinary duties performed will
be but small.

But while we render to those whose labors have obtained the
results of the expedition their full due of credit, we cannot forget
that there are others, and one in particular, whose zeal and un-
tiring exertions in planning, arid urging forward to its completion
this enterprise, deserve more than a passing acknowledgment.
Mr. J. N. Reynolds was left behind, yet, though unrewarded for
his efforts by the pleasure of accompanying the expedition, and
adding to its laurels, his distinguished merits will not be forgot-
ten or disregarded by his countrymen.

M

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